Our Commitments

All WAFCA Member Agencies affirm the following WAFCA core principles and statements of ethical practice: 

Operations:
  • Our agency operates in an open and transparent manner in accordance with applicable legal requirements, and is accountable to its stakeholders.
  • Our agency represents its services and intentions accurately, honestly and openly. Our agency is committed to doing no harm, only serves those families, children, and adults for whom our services are appropriate, and plans carefully and realistically with and for each individual served.  

Conflict of Interest:

  • Our agency has adopted and enforces a conflict of interest policy consistent with both standards of ethical practice and state and federal laws and regulations to prevent abuse and disclose potential duality/conflicts of interest.
  • Our agency accurately represents itself in all partnerships and relationships within our community and service interactions. 

Financing and Fundraising:

  • Our agency organization manages all fiscal resources through sound stewardship and business practices with the oversight of the organization’s governing body and management.
  • Fundraising efforts conducted by our agency are carried out ethically and in a fiscally responsible manner.
  • Our agency complies with all state and federal laws and regulations related to generally accepted accounting principles and annual auditing requirements. 

Professional Code of Conduct:

  • Our agency supports the right of individuals to basic needs, including food and housing.
  • Our agency strives to protect the people we serve from any form of abuse and maltreatment.
  • Our agency does not exploit the plight of the people we serve for financial gain of our organization.
  • Our agency maintains confidentiality in all matters concerning the people we serve with regard to laws and regulations as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
  • Our agency values the dignity of every individual, serving people inclusively, without discrimination, while honoring creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, marital status or protected status as defined by law. 

The Wisconsin Association of Family & Children’s Agencies is dedicated to advancing public policy, best practices, and partnerships that support our member agencies and enhance the lives of individuals, children, and families. As a collective voice of the human services and behavioral health sector, we believe that Wisconsin thrives when all people have access to the resources they need to succeed.

While seeking to advance the dignity and humanity of each individual:

  • We acknowledge that providers and recipients of services are impacted by systemic discrimination every day.

  • We recognize that our beliefs and biases have the power to reinforce or disrupt systemic inequities, and we challenge ourselves and our systems to be more inclusive and equitable.

  • We commit to elevating the voices and needs of children, youth, and families as we work toward a more inclusive and equitable future.

  • We celebrate our members’ differences and the identities that make them unique, while holding each other accountable for deep listening and uplifting the enriching contributions of each individual, organization and community.

  • We dedicate ourselves to ongoing self-reflection and recognize that, when we are vulnerable and humbly transparent in our individual journeys, we create space within ourselves and our organizations to authentically and continuously evolve. As a result, we expand our capacity to positively impact our communities and the people living and working alongside us.

Throughout our work in advocacy, education, and community-building, we will advance accessibility, belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity (ABIDE) in all their forms, including age, ability, economic circumstance, ethnicity, gender expression, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, and any other underrepresented identities. As an association, we will make ABIDE a core tenet of our practice: guiding our words and actions and informing our collective work and community impact.